The Defense Logistics Agency, the DoD’s procurement arm, issued a solicitation on July 2, 2026 for up to 16,167 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate under a five-year fixed-price contract. The ceiling value is $300 million. This is the first time lithium has been formally included in the National Defense Stockpile, the US government’s strategic reserve of materials deemed essential to national security.
What the Pentagon is actually buying
Battery-grade lithium carbonate is the refined form of lithium used in the cells that power everything from electric vehicles to military drones to grid-scale storage systems. It is not the raw ore pulled from the ground. It is the processed, high-purity material that goes directly into battery manufacturing.
The contract is front-loaded by design. The DoD plans to take delivery of roughly 3,657 metric tons in year one, tapering down to approximately 2,839 metric tons by year five.
Deliveries will go to DLA warehouse facilities in New York, Nevada, Indiana, or Ohio. The bidding process remains open, with submissions due by July 17, 2026. No suppliers have been named yet.
